Readers' comments

"After the inauguration of a new parliament, Somalia may get a proper government soon. But do not count on it being entirely clean"

After taking the first baby steps, Johnny may get a pair of proper running shoes soon. But do not count on he winning an Olympics medal this year.

The expectation of the new Somalian government to be "entirely clean" is altogether unreasonable and surreal, given that Somalia was a failed state in the very recent past. Any resemblance of a functioning parliament would be a great step forward. Why is The Economist setting such an impossibly high bar, instead of welcoming this important "baby step"? I get the feeling that The Economist here is just looking for things to criticize for the sake of having something to criticize.

Baby steps.. It will take few more years to get this country to come back.. count on it. Their currency still working, the quality of live, is some parts, are much better in some other African, Asian and South American countries.. look it up.

Calling this an election or even selection is like calling the whack meets the mafia a local neighborhood watch seminar. A collection of completely unelected 'clan elders', none of whom have a following any more substantial than his wives and favourite camels, have been paid by the West to 'select' representatives to a 'parliament' who will then elect a 'government'. The most likely favourites to be 'selected' by these 'clan elders' are likely to be the most venal, violent, scheming and nastiest in each clan's arsenal beacuse they believe only such characters can defend clan interests in this primeval caveman eat all other cavemen kind of Somalia politics.

Meanwhile the whole thing is being venomously manipulated by a 'government' created with Western money who never ruled anything except the palace it lives in and the airport its leaders trot the globe from.

Oh and btw this 'government' has just been shown to be one of the most corrupt and most venal the world has known since the emergence of the modern nation state.

Yet all this is paid for by the West. Why? Because the West has never learnt any lessons from the futility of supporting corrupt and illegitimate entities in the third world because they stand against a real or perceived 'enemy' of the West.

What was true in South Viet Nam in the 1960s is true of Somalia, Afghanistan and Yemen today.

And its ultimately the peoples of these nations who pay the highest price for West's arrogance and paranoical self-delusion.

I really do think that this nation can pull itself up and would have if it could have. However, the environment and history for this area has been too corrosive and hostel for any sort of legitimate government or economy to form. It doesn't matter if its the West or East that commits itself to helping this country. Regardless, it needs it.
All the other efforts have not worked for this patchwork of tribes, that got scribbled into some arbitrary lines by European empires over two centuries ago. Unfortunantly the only reasons the west is currently involved, is because of the humane issues which plague the country (namely because some bleeding-heart constituency made an outcry to their government for action), or the fact that Regional and Global Trade are affected (i.e. the actions over there are taking money out the pockets of somebody important). Thus, the source of the modern western interference.
Other than a full on invaison and occupation (it wouldn't matter who did it), which really nobody wants or the current but failing aid; the only other solution left, is the efforts to try to dilute the illegitmacy and corruption of government, with some semblence of legitimacy. The aim from this action, is that some forward movement of progression is achieved. Hopefully that pertuates itself and can inject more legitmacy into the economy and political system.
We all know this is such a long shot and really shouldn't work, but given the current tool-box, its all the world can do currently. Other than to leave them be, which come on even you know that that's only going to make it worse; and not just for western pocket books.

Counting on the powerful to be entirely clean would require someone with the patience of the dead. That said, to dismiss an incoming government of a desertified, divided, poor, war ravaged country, parts of it under foreign occupation as not entirely clean seems a little harsh.